Hull FC coach Lee Radford says the carrot of a place on the plane to Australia should ensure his players push themselves to their limits as pre-season officially begins today.

Hull’s trip to New South Wales next year will see them take on Wigan Warriors in the first Super League game to be staged in Australia on February 10, before facing St George-Illawarra Dragons seven days later in Sydney.

The Black and Whites’ boss has revealed that only 24 members of his 31-man playing squad will make the journey to Australia for two historic clashes, meaning competition for places will be fierce to avoid being left at home.

FC are scheduled to head Down Under one day after taking on Huddersfield Giants in round one of the 2018 Super League campaign, with the race not just to feature in the opening game of the season but making the trip to the southern hemisphere starting today.

That gives Hull’s young guns and fringe members time to impress the coaching staff and with the club’s pre-season activities starting this morning, Radford explains that the race for Australia will be hotly contested.

“We can take 24 so that highlights the importance on this pre-season and also the trial games that we have as well,” Radford told the Mail.

“If I’m a young bloke at the start of my career it’s a trip I want to be on. It’s a big season for everyone but those guys in particular have a chance to impress in the early stages with a view to getting on the plane come February.

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“The whole trip is great for us moving forward and it’s a positive step for the club.

“This is helping drive us in the right direction and everyone is eager to ensure they’re involved.”

Despite training starting today, Radford will not welcome back a number of senior players for some weeks, with the internationals not expected until next month and the likes of Danny Houghton and Danny Washbrook given a longer break.